Washington (CNN) - Just over half the public says that the GOP should give up more than the Democrats in any bipartisan solution to the country's problems, according to a new national survey.

And a CNN/ORC International poll also indicates that a slight majority of Americans sees the Republican party's policies and views as too extreme, a first for the GOP, and fewer than a third say they trust congressional Republicans more than President Barack Obama to deal with the major issues facing the nation.

The poll's Thursday release comes less than two weeks before the country faces automatic tax increases on nearly all Americans, as well as deep federal spending cuts, if no deal is struck to avert the country from falling off the fiscal cliff at the end of the year.

According to the survey, 53% say the GOP should compromise more, with 41% saying the Democratic Party should give up more of the proposals it supports to develop bipartisan solutions.

"That's due in part to the fact that the Republican brand is not doing all that well," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland.

Fifty-three percent of those surveyed say they view the policies of the GOP as too extreme, up 17 points from two years ago. Only 37% say they view the polices of the Democratic Party as too extreme.

It probably doesn't help that House Speaker John Boehner, who's leading GOP fiscal cliff negotiations with the president, is held in fairly low regard, particularly in comparison to Obama. According to the poll, 34% of the public approves of how the top Republican in the House handling his job. By contrast, the president's approval rating stands at 52%.

"Small wonder that nearly half say they have more confidence in President Obama than in the congressional Republicans and that nearly half (48%) would blame the GOP if the fiscal cliff occurs," adds Holland.

Thirty-seven percent said they would blame the president more, with 11% saying they would point fingers at both sides equally if no agreement is struck to avert falling off the fiscal cliff.

The survey also indicates that seven in ten Americans continue to think that the fiscal cliff will cause a crisis or major problems for the country if a deal is not reached.

The poll's release comes one day after Obama and Boehner publicly butted heads, with the president saying Republicans were focused too much on besting him personally instead of thinking about what's best for the country. And Boehner said Obama had yet to make a proposal offering his promised approach of balance between increased revenue and spending cuts.

The survey's release also comes hours before the Republican led House is expected to vote on Boehner's backup tax plan that limits tax hikes to income above $1 million. While a concession from his original opposition to any kind of increase in tax rates, the Boehner plan sets a significantly higher threshold for a rate hike than the $400,000 level sought by Obama.

One piece of good news for the Republicans in the survey: Most Americans say that it's good for the country that the GOP controls the House, an indication that the public would not like to see the Democrats with unchecked power in Washington.

The CNN poll was conducted by ORC International December 17-18, with 620 adults nationwide questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus four percentage points.

Actually, the real key to restoring this country is through Congress. Don't get too cocky....look what it lead to in the 2010 elections. Polls showed your guy pushed too far, and polls still show people think govt is doing too much. Polls also still show that people are sick of war and your guy is no different than Bush. Actually he is worse.So keep it up. Remember 60% of registered voters did not vote. Even many on the Christian right wouldn't vote at all because of Romney. The GOP just put up a bad candidate. But the GOP made gains in the states, some of who are preparing to nullify things the Feds do.

Republicans have no strong leaders. I've said that for years now.

If that ever changes then I could see the Dems having something to worry about. Unfortunately it seems most sensible, educated people coming into politics now are Democrats.

Your party has been hijacked by people who enjoy making caricatures of themselves. If there's any hope for the GOP it will simply move those people aside and make attempts to bring in some candidates with common sense about today's world. Many conservative friends of mine though appear to think it's too late.

Is something wrong? Unemployment is too high but I see that as more of a problem that too many people are simply unemployable. Not lack of work.

Housing is back on the upswing, etc. It will never be perfect but I think many people have become more accustomed to living within their means the last few years after the pit we were thrown into by the last administration. Most of us now are stronger for it.

If that ever changes then I could see the Dems having something to worry about. Unfortunately it seems most sensible, educated people coming into politics now are Democrats.

Your party has been hijacked by people who enjoy making caricatures of themselves. If there's any hope for the GOP it will simply move those people aside and make attempts to bring in some candidates with common sense about today's world. Many conservative friends of mine though appear to think it's too late.

You said you had a huge turnout implying it was the sign of the future. Obama had his base turnout and the GOP did not have theirs turnout. That doesn't give you a lock on the future. Your last paragraph is opinion. The fact is the freedom movement is growing and the moderates are being replaced. People are tired of the Demopublicans which you argue for,because that's what you support. Look at California, for an example of your side. It's bankrupt. This country may even break apart, people are tired of the elites running things and that is true around the world.

__________________My Message to President-Elect Donald Trump:America did NOT became great because of what government did. America became great because of what the U.S. Constitution prevented our government from doing. The people made America great.

You said you had a huge turnout implying it was the sign of the future. Obama had his base turnout and the GOP did not have theirs turnout. That doesn't give you a lock on the future. Your last paragraph is opinion. The fact is the freedom movement is growing and the moderates are being replaced. People are tired of the Demopublicans which you argue for,because that's what you support.

The turnout for "sign of the future" was in 2008.

The turnout this year was pretty even from what anyone can tell. Many more just voted for Obama.

If that was true, then Obama would have won the Independent vote in 2012. He didn't. His base turned out. If that was true he would not have won by less in 2012 than he did in 2008. If that was true the Ds would not have lost the House in 2010 and would have regained it in 2012.

You must be a millennial kid because I've seen Ds and Rs make such claims about the future that didn't pan out. Nothing stays the same forever. When the millennial babies can't find jobs then things will change again. Obama is for Euro-Socialism and that place is a mess.

Quote:

The turnout this year was pretty even from what anyone can tell. Many more just voted for Obama.

That's not what the breakdown shows that I've seen. Less youth and less independents voted for Obama. His base elected him and there was also some fraud. He's a Chicago politician. Here's what even the lefty NY Times said "For his part, Mr. Obama won a clear victory but less decisively than other presidents who were re-elected." If you ran a white D, I wonder what the results would be?

__________________My Message to President-Elect Donald Trump:America did NOT became great because of what government did. America became great because of what the U.S. Constitution prevented our government from doing. The people made America great.

Here's another thing, Democrats like to make everyone forget the first two years of Obama's presidency when he had his party in charge of congress. That's how things would go again if you regained both branches. They put the focus on the last two where they can blame Republicans. So in 2012 though, he ran an Alinskyish campaign. The Electoral College margin does not show that many of those decisive state wins were actually very narrow wins. Combine that with less youth and less independents voting for Obama and there is a decline in his original glowing popularity in 2008 where he spoke in wide enough generality for change that even someone like I liked his message.

Summary: Obama failed win new support, and lost some backing in almost all demographic groups. Yes he still won, due to his base turning out. But it was not a mandate if you parse the numbers—nor was it a crushing landslide.

__________________My Message to President-Elect Donald Trump:America did NOT became great because of what government did. America became great because of what the U.S. Constitution prevented our government from doing. The people made America great.

Oh, and the GOP needs to get rid of it's NeoCons. That's a tall order in terms of time.

__________________My Message to President-Elect Donald Trump:America did NOT became great because of what government did. America became great because of what the U.S. Constitution prevented our government from doing. The people made America great.

I've seen and been through such sentiments before where the party that wins the election paints the death knoll for the other. You're just winning the info war currently. Nothing stays the same. You need to get some years on you because this too will pass.

Yeah, I remember as recently as 92 with Clinton. The Republican party was dead according to the media. The curb stomping on the Democrats arrived in 94. It will happen again when the next wave of layoffs and lost jobs arrive shortly with the tax increases. Democrats are their own worst enemies.

Yeah, I remember as recently as 92 with Clinton. The Republican party was dead according to the media. The curb stomping on the Democrats arrived in 94. It will happen again when the next wave of layoffs and lost jobs arrive shortly with the tax increases. Democrats are their own worst enemies.

That's what I was thinking of.

__________________My Message to President-Elect Donald Trump:America did NOT became great because of what government did. America became great because of what the U.S. Constitution prevented our government from doing. The people made America great.

They're ideological zealots, indifferent to the consequences of their actions, contemptuous of the very to-and-fro essential for the American system to work, gerry-mandering to thwart the popular will, filibustering in a way that all but wrecks the core mechanics of American democracy, and now willing to acquiesce to the biggest tax increase imaginable because they cannot even accept Obama's compromise from his clear campaign promise to raise rates for those earning over $250,000 to $400,000 a year.

And this is not the exception. It is the rule. On abortion, the party proposes that it be made illegal in every state by amending the Constitution. Torture? More, please. Iran? It should be attacked if it merely develops the technological skill to make a nuclear bomb, let alone actually make one. Israel? Leading Republicans don't just support new settlements on the West Bank. They show up for the opening ceremonies!

Gun control? A massacre of children leads to a proposal for more guns in elementary schools and no concession on assault weapons. Immigration? Romney represented the party base - favoring a brutal regime of persecution of illegal immigrants until they are forced to "self-deport" - or rounding as many up as they can. Climate change? It's a hoax - and we should respond by shrieking "Drill, Baby, Drill!" Gay marriage? The federal constitution should be amended to bar any legal recognition of any gay relationships, including civil partnerships. Their legislative agenda in this Congress? To "make Obama a one-term president." Not saving the economy, not pursuing new policies, not cooperating to make Democratic legislation better. Just destroying a president of the opposite party. And, of course, failing.

Then there is the rhetoric. In just the last fortnight, House Republicans have asserted that secretary of state Clinton faked her recent fall and concussion at home in order to get out of testifying on the Benghazi consulate attack. And then the Weekly Standard quotes a Senate Republican staffer saying: "Send us Hagel and we will make sure every American knows he is an anti-Semite."

Yeah, I remember as recently as 92 with Clinton. The Republican party was dead according to the media. The curb stomping on the Democrats arrived in 94. It will happen again when the next wave of layoffs and lost jobs arrive shortly with the tax increases. Democrats are their own worst enemies.

That was suppose to happen this year.

Compromise is not a dirty word. It's how we move forward as a nation.

__________________
Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.

Just about every point of data, with one exception, is unfavorable for the GOP. The whole poll is worth observing.
[list][*]Obama: 52% approval.[*]"Do you have more confidence in President Obama or in the Republicans in Congress to deal with the major issues facing the country today?" Obama 49%, GOP 31%.[*]Boehner: 34-52 approve/disapprove.[*]The GOP should compromise more than the DNP on their positions, 53 to 41.[*]"Overall, would you describe the views and policies of each of the following as too extreme, or as generally mainstream?" The GOP weighs in at 53 extreme, 43 mainstream. The DNP weighs in at 37-57.[*] 70% believe the fiscal cliff will create either "major problems" or a "crisis," and if we go off it, the GOP will shoulder the blame over the President, 48 to 37.

So we're supposed to believe the Dems have a +20 advantage on "extreme views" while the GOP has a -10. Yet the Prez Election (with a sitting Dem incumbent) was Democrats by only +3, the House went GOP with a split vote total, and 30/50 states have GOP Governor and majority have a GOP advantage in the statehouse.

Instant false equivalence saves the day again. Hooray! Let's never think about this again. Now or ever is not the time for introspection.

The Republican Party is infallible and clearly on the right course and has not been hijacked at all by the tea partiers in gerrymandering. It is physically impossible for the Republican Party to ever be too conservative. We are not brainwashed by slick 24/7 propaganda masquerading as news outlets that play on our deep-seeded fears, emotions and prejudices. I am not so immersed in the right wing media bubble that I lose track of reality. I can and do think for myself.